There are some very intelligent and experienced folks in that top group. Maybe it comes down to 'ego' undoing a few?

As of 3:25 PM CDT, things are not good.there are a some "egos" taking a bruising, second hand reports coming in are getting very ugly.Seems like Race control received reports from their corner workers saying 'some' top 5 cars pulling off track on the cool down lap, tending to 'electrical" issues before continuing to impound. Tech was notified. [/QB]

Thats funny! Well, not really. I can tell you it won't involve the winner as he is wearing snow white today. No fuel pressure, no timing, and no ECU. If the engine passes (which it should) than there won't be any issues.

You don't get jack ...Von C deserves all the Jack that he can drink(and a sweet Jill or two)... free drinks at every bar he frequents next year, from Homestead to Elkhart Lake ! Damn, thats alotta bars, lotta Jack, you can maybe share his Jill??how ironic, the guy that crashed the party at the RunOffs 2 years ago without an SRF invite, is now the National Champion!

my hero ...and i still wont sell my 'Andy Von C' Hero card.There are too, too, toooo many Von C stories to tell, most of you know a few, none of which can be told here at a family rated site.all kidding aside, he is one of the sweetest, kindest guys out there, not an ounce of mean in him.Not just one hell of a racer ... think it was easy taking down the Gorilla and a Coello at Road America? ... but a great person as well ...our Spec Miata National Champion!Look foward to buying him a round or six at the next bar we hook up at ...

I have to thank Ed Gilfus for setting up my car all week and building me an awesome motor that never had any issues. He worked his butt off all week for a LOT of people, sometimes i just don't know how he does it. I had a great time during the race even though it was VERY violent with people running into each other left and right. I guess that sign at the grid that read "Per stewards, NO BUMP DRAFTING" did not seem to work or scare anybody. Me and Reynolds were lucky enough to stay out of trouble and managed to represent Texas pretty well. I think tech was a joke all week but that's a different story. The wind gusts today were crazy, at certain points going through the carousel the gusts would actually push my car into a slide which was a little unsettling. But overall good week, fun race, wish there was more green flag racing. Our pack was catching the front 3 runners one second per lap. O well. Next year.

Congrats Andrew - One hell of a result. You have our admiration. Congrats to Steve and Tony.

Unfortunately my day ended early when Jeffie, Mark and Sammy made contact. Sammy came sideways across the track in T13 and I had nowhere to go. One of those things.

2010 Runoffs - What an experience for a newbie like me. Learned so much. Have so much to work on. Very positive experience for me and I would ecourage anyone to do it.

On the negative side, the "Kill Zone" mentioned above was very real, but one expects that in SM. On the tech side, lots of stories, lots of REAL issues that need to be resolved, and lots of smoke and mirrors to deflect attention.

All in all a great experience, albeit very disappointing.

Met a lot of the names in this sport that I had heard about but never raced against. Some really great guys in our class.

I just want to thank Tom, Tim and Ryan from OPM for their great support, to Glenn and Andre from Traqmate for their help, and to Mike Rossini for building my engines that kept me in the running all week.

I would like to congratulate Andrew and Jeff as well, great guys and good friends. Well deserved.

For me, it was a long expensive week filled with stress,aggravation and hardwork culminating in spin at 14 that should have never happened and cost me a real shot at the win. Then ending in very little tech after spending weeks writing engine rules etc. In a field of 60 plus cars, five of the top six should never drive their cars from the tech shed IMO. There was far more tech at the Sprints. I remember in 08 when Blake borrowed my car and finished 6th, it came home in buckets.. Engine,trans and rear end came apart.

Mr Hoover,please send me your recomendations on what new golf clubs that I should buy as I am joining your weekly foursome.

quote:Originally posted by Drago:Mr Hoover,please send me your recomendations on what new golf clubs that I should buy as I am joining your weekly foursome.

Find the best clubfitter within 2 hours and have something fit to you using not only measurements and hitting off a lie board, but preferably someone using a shaft analyzer and a launch monitor too. All y'all's Mac Spikes can probably help all y'all.

Compared to using Dad's old MacGregors and hitting Top-Flites at the local cow pasture, it all seems stupid expensive until and unless you turn on your "Spec Miata Expense Accounting Justification" gene.

This week I thought about all the money I wasn't spending at the Runoffs - I was so cheery and generous feeling, even the damn United Way got a 1/2 set of Toyos out of me.

Congrats to Andrew! Dont think we will ever have a champ more entertaining to be around....not to mention a Very talented, fast driver. We had a frustating week. After feeling good the first few laps the car overheated during the double yellow....I had little power, and in hindsite should have moved over sooner. I appologize to those who had to race by me after the yellow. I was overly optimistic that some sort of magic would cure my engine. Thanks to Drago, John Phillips, J.B., Robert Lloyd, and my dad for all the hard work all week.

I can't wait to see Andrew's post on here if he remembers where his PC is. LOL

Congrats to Andrew, Steve, and Tony on the podium. Andrew is a deserving champion and is a prime example of why I like spec miata. He's a hard racer, nice guy, and always looking to have a good time.

I had the most exciting view of the race, and it cost me a shot at being a contender after a good start. Thanks to my dad, Drago, John Phillips, Sean Hedrick at miatacage, Danny and the Puskars, Darrell at WBR, and Traqmate for all the help.

One of these days I'll get my stuff together and get a podium, but I may be Charbonneau's age by then ; ) stay down old man!

quote:Originally posted by Drago:Mr Hoover,please send me your recomendations on what new golf clubs that I should buy as I am joining your weekly foursome.

Find the best clubfitter within 2 hours and have something fit to you using not only measurements and hitting off a lie board, but preferably someone using a shaft analyzer and a launch monitor too. All y'all's Mac Spikes can probably help all y'all.

Compared to using Dad's old MacGregors and hitting Top-Flites at the local cow pasture, it all seems stupid expensive until and unless you turn on your "Spec Miata Expense Accounting Justification" gene.

This week I thought about all the money I wasn't spending at the Runoffs - I was so cheery and generous feeling, even the damn United Way got a 1/2 set of Toyos out of me.

Wouldn't that be an about face "Ol Mac" getting to put the business to Big Swerve! Yeah Jimbo come on down to Foat Wuth, we got lie boards, face tape, shaft analyzers...heck we even have all that crap Tin Cup was trying to cure the shanks. Just come on down "You all"!

Ill be there in next 6-8 weeks... May even squeeze a lesson in and lay a few rounds with Jim Berry!Bennett has done acost analysis and we have determined that we can play the best courses in the world for far less

quote:Originally posted by Drago: Ill be there in next 6-8 weeks... May even squeeze a lesson in and lay a few rounds with Jim Berry!Bennett has done acost analysis and we have determined that we can play the best courses in the world for far less

Runoffs 2011 - St. Andrews

(Hell, we'll even be back home early compared to the way I USED to do the Runoffs).

MB;logic, reason and golf are for normal, sane people. Drago cannot be converted, ever see "One flew over the cuckoos nest"?Please do not attempt to give him electrogolfshock, chasing a little white ball around some godforsaken field surrounded by normal, sane people who actually count each stroke and play by the rules.Unless you can also convert the SM National Champion to join that group (*), Drago will only be miserable and end up having to fall on his sword like a proper Roman General.(*) = if you can get Von C to join you please let me know, i'm also in, it'll be the funnest golf ever seen, Caddyshack ain't got nothing on him as Von C plays both Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray at the same time, better than they do.

speaking of Andy Von C;where art thou?you've had a day to weigh all the gold, inspect all the gems and balance the ledger to make sure everything was kosher in your abscence from the bidness ...how was that little town called Elkhart's Lake ??Remember, that little race yesterday?

Besides, you know as well as I do, Drago ain't havin' fun unless he's cheatin' ... he'd be the first to be getting Japanese spec clubs and balls off of Ebay and rigging some way to drop balls out from under the middle of the cart while "looking for that ball that went in the woods, just in case it kicked out".

Besides, you know as well as I do, Drago ain't havin' fun unless he's cheatin' ... he'd be the first to be getting Japanese spec clubs and balls off of Ebay and rigging some way to drop balls out from under the middle of the cart while "looking for that ball that went in the woods, just in case it kicked out".

quote:Originally posted by Kent Carter: You know... one out of every 100,000,000 golf balls has slight larger dimples. It's just normal production variation, but leads to +25 yards with a BigBertha driver.

Besides, you know as well as I do, Drago ain't havin' fun unless he's cheatin' ... he'd be the first to be getting Japanese spec clubs and balls off of Ebay and rigging some way to drop balls out from under the middle of the cart while "looking for that ball that went in the woods, just in case it kicked out".

Isnt the rough the same as the "gray" area?

Actually Jim, I think the rough is more like the grass exit of turn 2 at Topeka.

quote:Originally posted by Gatoratty: The fact that Andrew went fishing for the afternoon while others were worrying about what everybody else was doing......says it all! Just got back and will post photos of everyone tomorrow.

uh, Paul, there was a bar / go-go lounge located lakeside ...can't even imagine Von C 'trout fishin', the guy only goes out on offshore powerboats with 500+ horsepower .... and with an onboard bar

This runoffs was full of highs and lows for me but I believe a majority of the drivers feel the same way. The car was definently a top 5 car I just couldn't get it done in qualifying. It was great seeing and racing with everyone again. Lots of new names at this years runoffs.

I have to thank Prodigy Motorsports, Race Engineering and Carbotech brakes. These three in one package make for an incredible race car. Thanks to Chris Campbell, Eddie Williams, Danny Byars, David Reynolds, Alex Reynolds, Mark Reynolds, Jim Johnson, Don Reynolds, John Phillips and Ed Gilfus. These are the people that make racing possible and extremely enjoyable for me and helped me the entire season despite my self destructive path. Thanks to all the Southwest and Midwest Division SM racers for giving me the racecraft skills to make it through this race! All the drama aside, SM is a rewarding class and the competition is not lacking.